Shippers unhappy with the high costs of doing business

The high cost of doing business at the ports and borders of the country continues to be a major worry to players in the logistics and transport in international trade.

Mr Robin Huws Barnes, Takoradi Branch Manager of the Ghana Shippers’ Authority, said the situation has made many shippers in the country non-competitive.

He said this during a one day forum organized by the Ghana Shippers’ Authority for export and import companies, government and regulatory organisations, members of the Western and Central Shipper’s committee on the National Single Window proposal.

The single window as a facility would allow parties involved in trade and transport to lodge standardized information and document with single entry point to fulfil all import and export and transit related regulatory requirement.

The forum is one of the means used by the authority to also create a platform for service providers and stakeholders to interact on and find solutions to some of the problems that confronted the industry.

The Ghana National Single Window project is being implemented by West Blue Consulting to streamline clearance procedures at the port of entry.

Mr Barnes said some of the challenges of shippers include high cost of doing business at the port of entry, indiscriminate charges by some service providers, cumbersome clearance procedures and delays in processing of cargo document among others.

The GCNet system according to him, had also been introduced to ensure quick processing of customs clearance documentation to reduce the wastage associated with clearing goods.

Mr Barnes on the other hand, urged shippers to do the right thing, engage the services of reputable shipping service providers adding, “We entreat our shippers to consult the authority to guide them in their business transactions decisions.”

Mr Adedapo Adegoke, Domain Expert and Customs Liaison Manager the National Single Window, said the project would help reduce corruption, ensure compliance, allow for coordinated border management and inspection as well as effective collaboration.